Biology subjects

Hobeali, K.

Publications and source records attributed to Hobeali, K..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Will they survive? Alarming circumstances of Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in Iran's drylands

The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), once widespread across West, South, and Central Asia, now survives only in Iran, where its population has declined to the brink of extinction. The current study synthesized 12 years (2012-2024) of monitoring data, including systematic, extensive camera trap surveys across 27 distinct sampling sessions in eight reserves (69,089 trap nights) supplemented by published records of cheetah occurrences on social media to assess the demographic and spatial patterns of this critically endangered subspecies. Our analysis indicates that a total of 24 adult Asiatic cheetahs were identified across the Northern and Southern Landscapes. However, no evidence of reproduction or new individual presence was obtained in the Southern Landscape for over a decade. Meanwhile, the Northern Landscape hosts the remaining population, likely fewer than 30 individuals. Between 2020 and 2024, at least 31 cubs were born in the northern population from six females. However, limited evidence of successful recruitment suggests minimal contribution to population recovery, as only 47.3% of monitored cubs survived beyond their first year. Asiatic cheetahs exhibit extensive mobility across the arid Northern Landscape, frequently traversing unprotected communal lands and a major highway, which increases their vulnerability. While camera trap data have proven effective for individual identification, they are limited in tracking fine-scale movement, emphasizing the urgent need for satellite telemetry. Interventions such as roadside fencing and wildlife underpasses along highways are essential to reduce mortality. These efforts should be complemented by broader conservation measures, including habitat protection and restoration, community-based management of unprotected lands, and enhanced anti-trafficking enforcement. Genetic concerns, especially low effective population size and inbreeding, pose additional threats to viability.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Cautious explorers: comparing movement patterns of wild and rewilded solitary predators

Many rewilding projects emphasize recovering trophic networks through species translocation. Understanding the behaviour and movement patterns of rewilded animals is central to evaluating the success of rewilding efforts. In this study, we compared the behaviour of rewilded Persian leopards (Panthera pardus tulliana) in Russia with their wild counterparts in Iran to assess how they compare in terms of exploratory and cautious movement in new environments. We used Behavioural Change Point Analysis with selection procedures to identify points where individuals switched between movement modes. We analysed intrinsic movement metrics (speed, persistence velocity, turning velocity) and spatiotemporal attributes (duration, net squared displacement, distance travelled). Time spent in each behavioural mode differed between wild and rewilded leopards: on average, rewilded leopards spent more time in the "Ranging" mode and less time "Encamped" compared to wild leopards. Rewilded leopards were also slower than wild leopards, particularly in the "Encamped" state while wild leopards exhibited similar speeds across modes. Importantly, rewilded leopards had larger displacement and spent longer in the "Ranging" mode, a pattern not seen in wild leopards. These findings highlight distinct spatial behaviour patterns between wild and rewilded leopards. Accordingly, rewilded leopards adopted both exploratory and cautious behavioural strategies, reflecting their tendency to range more widely over extended periods, plausibly to gather information from large parts of their environments, albeit at lower speed, arguably to avoid potential risks, suggesting that they are in the process of adapting to new environments. These differences are likely to reflect different ecological circumstances, but even more so the previous experiences and thus different social circumstances of the two samples of Persian leopards. OPEN RESEARCH STATEMENTAll locational data from Iran are publicly available on Movebank: https://www.movebank.org/panel_embedded_movebank_webapp. Project: Persian leopard Tandoureh Iran (accession number 270329098). All the data are available for download as .csv file.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2020

Estimating the density of small population of leopard Panthera pardus using multi-session photographic-sampling data

West Asian drylands host a number of threatened large carnivores, including the leopard (Panthera pardus) which is limited to spatially scattered landscapes with generally low primary productivity. While conservation efforts have focused on these areas for several decades, reliable population density estimates are missing. Spatially-explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methodology, incorporating animal movement in density estimates, is widely used to monitor populations of large carnivores. We employed multi-session SECR modeling to estimate the density of a small population of leopard (Panthera pardus) in a mountainous stretch surrounded by deserts in central Iran. During 6724 camera trap nights, we detected eight and five independent leopards in 2012 and 2016 sessions, respectively. The top performing model demonstrated density estimates of 1.6 (95% CI = 0.9-2.9) and 1.0 (95% CI = 0.6-1.6) independent leopards/100 km2 in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Both sex and season had substantial effects on spatial scale ({sigma}), with larger movements for males and during winter. Currently available estimates in arid regions represent some of the lowest densities across the leopard global range. These small populations are vulnerable to demographic stochasticity. Monitoring temporal changes in population density and composition can inform conservation priorities.

ecology↗